Epoch Legacy
by Ichabod Crane
Summary: A time travel adventure with Sands, Ichabod Crane from Sleepy Hollow and Jack Sparrow from Pirates Of the Caribbean. What links these three together? ALL Johnny Depp characters. R & R Please.
1. Chapter 1

This is a story written by three different authors on Fanfiction. Jack Sparrow's parts are wriiten by iloveJesusJohnnyandDanny. Sands Parts are written by AgentSJSands and Ichabod Cranes lines are written by Ichabod Crane.

Disclaimer: We do not own any of the Depp characters.

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Sands stared at the file in front of him. This had to be the strangest assignment he had ever been presented with.

"So, let me get this straight," he said to his boss, James Mason, "the CIA has somehow acquired a time traveling machine and I need to travel back in time to apprehend a criminal that made an undesirable impact on the future?"

Sands raised his eyebrows as he looked at his boss incredulously, waiting for a reply.

Jim cleared his throat and fidgeted nervously, "Yes, Sands, that's what I'm telling you."

Sands sat back in his chair, and stared back at Jim with a maniacal grin, "Well, Jim, this is truly unbelievable. You expect me to get in some untried machine and travel through time?"

Jim was sweating profusely by now. He hated having to talk to Sands, heck, he hated being in the same room with Sands, and this assignment made him doubly nervous. Sands was notorious for being unpredictably violent and uncannily able to read people.

"Well, it's not completely untried. I mean, it's been tested. It works," he said weakly, his blue eyes darting around the room.

"Why me, Jim? Why was I picked for this assignment?" Sands dark brown eyes searched Jim's face for the answer. Jim wouldn't look him in his eyes.

"You have extensive knowledge of history. Wasn't that one of your majors in college?"

"Yes," Sands admitted.

"Well," he shrugged, "you're gonna need it." He didn't want to tell Sands everything, at least not yet. He only needed to know the basics, he reminded himself.

Jim stood up abruptly. "We have everything you need to get started, wardrobe, weapons, everything necessary to pull off this assignment. Read the file and then get going."

He walked out leaving Sands alone to study the file further. The time traveling machine was a teleporter to be exact. It was a state of the art creation made in secret for the CIA. It was approximately the size of a phone booth. When not in use, Sands could teleport it back to CIA headquarters until he needed it with a small remote control unit. With the remote control he could call it back to him. Therefore it would be undetectable to the people around him as he traveled through time. He looked over the schematics for the machine. It looked simple enough to use.

Sands lit a cigarette as he continued to read the file. He looked at the picture of the criminal he needed to find and capture. His name was Captain Jack Sparrow. His list of crimes was long. He was a notorious pirate from the mid 1600's. Conspicuously missing from the information was the reason why he needed to apprehend this Captain Jack Sparrow. He wondered why that information wasn't given, but it wasn't all that unusual for the CIA not to explain why it wanted things done.

He read the brief outline of the assignment. He was surprised to see that he would have to find his partner to complete the assignment in yet another century, the late 1700's. The picture of his future partner was also present in the file. His name was Constable Ichabod Crane, a famous police detective from that time. Sands wondered to himself why this man was to be his partner. The CIA must have a reason, but none was given in the file and how was he supposed to convince this man to come with him and assist him on the assignment? Well, he'd figure that out when he got there, he thought to himself.

He closed the file and stood up. "Well, might as well get this party started," he said aloud to himself as he strode out of the room and down the hall to where the time machine awaited him.

The room was guarded by a security guard and Sands had to show him his CIA ID to confirm his identity to be allowed into the room. That gave him some small comfort to know that the machine would be secure while he was on the assignment.

He entered the room. There was a complete wardrobe from several different centuries along with all the necessary accessories he would need to fit in. He decided he would still bring his trusted firearms with him. He didn't care that it probably wouldn't sit well with the CIA. He was not going to try to protect himself with anything less than the latest weaponry available to him.

He would be traveling to 1799 first to pick up Mr. Crane. He put on a police uniform from that era. He sneered at the inferior gun that went along with the uniform but strapped it on to complete the outfit, his own guns concealed under his new clothing.

He entered the teleporter. It was clear glass on the outside, with a simple computer interface inside with which he would enter the year and place to travel to in order to begin the process of traveling through time.

He took a deep breath and began to type in his ID and password as given to begin the process. The computer screen popped up a space to enter the year and place of travel. He entered 1799 and New York City and hit the enter key.

It didn't feel like he went anywhere, but the view outside the glass teleporter changed to a blur of colors before settling again to what looked like the middle of a city street. A horse and carriage were coming right at him before veering off to the side of the teleporter. The driver had a shocked look on his face as he passed by.

Sands quickly exited the teleporter and pressed the button on the remote control to send the teleporter back to the CIA until he needed it again. He surveyed the city street around him. It looked like something out of an old photograph or movie. There was nothing electric, he noted. Of course, there wasn't, he chided himself. It's 1799!

He began walking down the street looking for police headquarters. He found it without too much trouble and walked up to the front desk. A bored looking man was sitting there and barely looked up from his paperwork to acknowledge Sands presence.

"Yes, what do you need?" he said in a bored voice.

"Where is Constable Ichabod Crane? I need to give him some information."

The man shuffled some papers on his desk. "Didn't you hear? There's been another murder. He's at the crime scene right now."

"And where would that be?" Sands asked the man as he lit one of his brown cigarettes.

"The alley at 45th Street and 6th Avenue."

The man finally looked up from his paperwork and looked at Sands disapprovingly. Sands dark brown shoulder length hair was hanging loosely around his face, some of it shoved recklessly behind his ears. He looked completely out of place in this time period and the man was now looking at him suspiciously.

"Who are you, again?" he asked Sands.

Sands purposely mumbled something to the man as he turned and exited the police station to find the Constable.

"Should have tied my hair up," he said to himself. But it was too late now to worry about it.

He found the location of the alley and peered down it. He could see a figure hunched over something on the ground about halfway down the alley. He began walking toward him.

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Ichabod grabbed his bag and opened it up. He was inspecting the body at the crime scene. As he kneeled down, he took his goggles out of the bag and put them on. Then he pulled out a long instrument, and looked back at the body. He frowned, as he slowly reached over with the instrument and lifted the victim's hand. He closely examined the fingers.

_There is skin under the fingernails, indicating that there was a struggle._ Ichabod thought to himself, as he let the hand fall back to the ground.

His lip twitched as he studied the rest of the body.

The victim, a woman, was stabbed to death during the night, in the alley. The High Constable had allowed him to use his scientific inventions to try to detect the murderer. Ichabod was excited to have finally been allowed the opportunity to use his inventions to solve cases.

He glanced up, when he noticed a figure walking towards him.

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"Constable Ichabod Crane?" Sands asked as he approached the figure.

"None other," Ichabod replied.

"We have some business to discuss. This may be a little hard for you to understand," Sands said with a grin, "but I'll do my best to explain it. You see, you are going to come with me and then we are going to apprehend a pirate, together."

He looked at the man before him, waiting for his reply which would undoubtedly be one of shock and disbelief, but he was ready for that.

Ichabod pulled his goggles off and set them back in his bag. He looked annoyed as he looked up at Sands.

"I am not quite certain I know what you are talking about. Who are you? Why would I go anywhere with you? I am in the middle of a case." He frowned, as he looked at him. He thought Sands hair was rather strange looking.

"I'll explain it all to you on the way." He smiled his best smile at Ichabod hoping he would come along without a fuss.

Ichabod shook his head at Sands. He wonders to himself why this man just walked up to him, expecting him to just go along with him to who-knows-where.

"Well, I was afraid of that, " Sands said, mostly to himself, his cigarette still dangling from the corner of his mouth as he spoke.

He pulled the stun gun out of his pocket that he had placed there in case the Constable was reluctant to come along willingly. He aimed it at Ichabod's chest and sent a jolt of electricity through his body knocking him to the ground just long enough for him to press the button on the remote control and call back the teleporter.

The teleporter appeared right in front of him instantly. He smiled at the speed of the machine and dragged Ichabod's body into it. He set the time and place back to CIA headquarters where they would need to get their clothing changed to travel even further back in time.

The Constable would just have to deal with the obvious, he thought to himself. He wasn't going to be able to get back to his own time until Sands let him. He smiled a satisfied smile as the teleporter came to a stop again in the same room at the CIA that he started in.


	2. Chapter 2

Ichabod staggered to his feet. He glared at Sands, who was still holding the stun gun.

"Give me that... thing," Ichabod said, as he grabbed the stun gun from Sands' hand. After studying it for a moment, he threw it on the ground, hard. It shattered.

Sands frowned at the broken stun gun and then looked back up at Ichabod's annoyed face.

"Welcome to the 21st Century," he said with a smirk. "We are standing at CIA headquarters, that's the Central Intelligence Agency. It wasn't around in your day, but then again, it wouldn't have worked very well back then. Anyway, that's who I work for. I'm a federal officer with the CIA. We work mostly in covert operations around the world, making the world a better place for you and me, and all Americans." He smiled a thin smile before continuing, "Right now, you and I, will be working on an assignment together to capture, this guy," he handed the open file to Ichabod with the page on Captain Jack Sparrow. "When we're done, I'll bring you back to 1799 and you can continue on with your boring little life, and you'll have a great tale to tell your grandkids someday."

He smiled as he finished and lit a cigarette as Ichabod looked at the file.

"And... why must_ I_ help you capture him?" Ichabod asked him.

"Well, I don't know exactly. But the CIA has it's reasons. They just don't always tell us what they are. By the by, you and I need to get changed and get on our way."

Sands stepped out of the teleporter and over to the clothing from the mid 1600's. He handed Ichabod a pirate looking outfit to wear.

"When in Rome..." Sands said as he smiled and pulled out his own pirate outfit to wear and quickly changed into it. The outfits came complete with a sword and pistol form the era.

Ichabod looked at the clothes Sands handed him. He began to change into them. "Very well. I will help you, but only so that I may go back to the year 1799."

"Good Boy" Sands said as he finished dressing and stepped back into the teleporter. "Are you ready to roll?"

Ichabod gave him a weird look. "Roll?" He repeated.

Sands rolled his eyes at Ichabod, "Go...Are you ready to go?"

"Yes," He replied, as he followed him into the teleporter.

"Good." Sands typed in the information needed to get them to the year 1655 and then he typed the location, "Tortuga." The view outside the teleporter blurred again and then they reappeared on the muddy streets of a rather dirty looking town.

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Jack put down his third empty rum glass and waved the bartender over, "Top me off another." He grinned a drunken smile, showing off his gold teeth.

"Alright," the bartender picked up the empty glass and went over to the rum barrels, but not before he gave the pirate an awkward glance. Everyone knew about the legendary Captain Jack Sparrow, and what he did. How he sailed the seas, causing havoc to all the villages he passed. That was probably why he was here now, getting ready to sail again. He always had his share of rum before a trip.

"Here," the bartender slid the glass down the counter. Jack caught it and brought it up to his mouth to drink it down.

"So, where are ya goin' next?" The bartender wiped his hands on a towel and watched the pirate. The man always gave him a hint of curiosity, how he got out of the toughest situations, yet still returned to his place in Tortuga.

"That, Mr. Ray, is for me to know, and for you to find out," Jack smiled again.

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Ichabod glanced back over at Sands as they walked out of the teleporter.

"And, what is your name?" Ichabod asked him. Sands still hadn't told him yet.

"Sands," he replied simply.

He pressed the button to make the teleporter return to the CIA and it disappeared instantly.

"Neat trick, eh?" He grinned at Ichabod.

"Now, how to capture our friend Jack Sparrow." Sands thought for a moment. "We'll have to act as if we have casually come across the man, not as if it's an intentional encounter. We'll need to find out where he is first."

Sands began walking down the street. A man and woman were staggering toward them, obviously having had too much to drink. Sands stopped them.

"Hello, can you tell me where I might find Captain Jack Sparrow?"

The red haired woman glared at Sands and snorted, "If ye find 'im, let ME know where 'e is! I 'ave a few choice words for that sod."

The man replied, "We don't know where 'e is, but 'e loves ta drink rum. Ye might wants ta look in the taverns for 'im."

The couple staggered away from Sands and Ichabod.

"Well, let's start checking the taverns. When we spot him, sit near him and make casual conversation," Sands instructed.

They went into several taverns but didn't find the notorious pirate in any of them. Finally, they walked into a rather dark and dingy establishment and Sands spotted him sitting in a dark back corner away from the door.

"There he is. Act normal. We'll go sit at the table next to him and order some drinks." Sands walked toward where Captain Sparrow was seated.

"I do not drink," Ichbod replied.

Sands smirked at Ichabod. "Well, then we'll order you some nice ice water."

The barmaid came over to Sands and Ichabod's table.

"What'll ye 'ave?" she asked in a bored voice. She noticed that they were rather fine looking young men. Sands looked at the woman. Her dress and hair were rather disheveled and dirty. Sands hoped she wouldn't be the one to actually pour his drink for him.

"I'll have a tequila with lime and my friend here will have an ice water," he smiled a quick smile at the woman before looking back over at Captain Sparrow.

The woman cackled a hideous laugh. "We ain't got neither 'o those things 'ere. You's can 'ave ale, rum or whiskey and your friend can 'ave warm water, but we'll be charging 'im for it."

Sands grimaced at his choices. "Rum, then," he replied, "and warm water for him."

Jack laughed when he heard their order, "Ya tried ta order tequila, and ice water?" He looked at Sands and smirked.

Sands shrugged. "It's my favorite drink."

Jack frowned, "Hmm...must not get it very often, huh. Not too easy ta find around here." he turned back to his rum and took another drink.

"Well, I try," Sands said lighting a cigarette. "The name's Sands. Pleased to meet you. This is Ichabod," he pointed to the Constable across from him.

"What kind of names are those?" Jack didn't even bother to face Sands.

"I didn't pick it," Sands said matter of factly. "What's yours?"

"Captain Jack Sparrow" he slightly looked over, showing the corner of a toothy grin.

"THE Captain Jack Sparrow? Well, then I am very pleased to meet you. I've heard some rather interesting tales about you." Sands grinned at him.

"Really?" Jack finally turned to him. Whenever things came to tales about himself, he perked right up. Always ready to listen to what people might say about the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow, "What tales did you hear?"

The barmaid returned with their drinks. She gave them a toothless grin as she set their drinks down in front of them.

"Will there be anything else, Luvs?"

"No, that will be all. Thank you, " Ichabod answered, as he glanced down at his water. His eyes widened, when he saw dirt floating around in it. "Ugh." He shoved the grimy glass across the table, away from him.

"I've heard you've sacked more than a few cities. Your name is legend in piracy," Sands replied to Jack.

Jack's smile grew as Sands tried to flatter him, "What brings you two to Tortuga?"

He noticed Sands clean shaven face, not too common in Tortuga. His clothes looked to be new and his expression seemed to be determined in doing a job. What ever that job was, Jack was always pleased with a determined man, makes a good crew, "Ya don't look much like the type ta be wanderin around here."

"Oh, this and that," Sands replied vaguely. Sands drank down his glass of rum quickly and waved the barmaid over for another. "Do you need another drink Jack? It's on me."

Jack looked at him questioningly for a minute. Sands was up to something, but what exactly was it?

"Aye, I'll 'ave another."

Sands quickly ordered them another drink. He glanced over at Ichabod but decided the next glass of water probably wouldn't be any better so he didn't order him another.

"Thanks" Jack took his rum and drank it down, but never took his eye off of Sands.

Sands drank his rum and set the glass down.

"Ya want another drink? I'll be buyin'this round." Jack reached for his money bag, but pretended he was out of money, "Ah, it seems I don't 'ave any money, but I do have some rum on me boat. Why don't we go there for a drink?"

"Sure. I'll take care of the drinks," Sands replied as he put enough shillings down on the table to cover all of their drinks. Jack smiled and Sands and Ichabod followed him out of the tavern and onto the Black Pearl.


	3. Chapter 3

Gibbs met them as they boarded the Pearl. Jack quickly whispered something to Gibbs on the way. Gibbs nodded and Jack led the way to his cabin.

"Welcome to me cabin," Jack smiled and led the two men in.

"Sit down anywhere, I'll get the rum."

Sands and Ichabod took a seat at the table in Jack's quarters.

"Nice cabin, Jack," Sands said as he waited for the captain to get him his drink.

Jack opened the rum cabinet and reached in. He pulled out two pistols and gently hid them under his coat before he grabbed two rum bottles.

"Here ya go," Jack handed Sands a bottle.

"Well, thank you," Sands said with a smile. "Cheers." He clinked his bottle with Jack's.

Ichabod simply glanced around the cabin as they drank their rum. Jack smiled and drank his rum, trying to hide his hands as he reached for his guns. Jack pulled the guns out of his coat and aimed one at Sands head, while the other was aimed at Ichabod's.

"Who are you two workin' for? It's not usual for two men like you to show up here. What're ya here for?"

Ichabod raised his eyebrows as he looked at the gun that was aimed at his head.

Sands put his hands up. "Just relax Jack, we aren't working for anybody. We're just a couple of friends out for a few drinks, that's all. We just happened to run into you."

"I ain't stupid. Now tell what yer up to."

Sands licked his lips and narrowed his eyes as he thought about what to say. "We aren't up to anything, Jack. You sure are a suspicious one."

Jack narrowed his eyes as well, "Am I? Hmm... Last time I checked, you were the ones new to Tortuga. You didn't stop coming to my boat and I was the first one ya came to. Why is that?"

"I really don't know what you mean," Sands said feigning innocence. "If you'd like, we can leave your boat right now." He started moving toward the door of the cabin slowly so he wouldn't get shot.

Jack smiled, "Alright."

Sands made a quick head motion to Ichabod as if to tell him to get out quick as he opened the cabin door to leave. Ichabod started following Sands out the door. They hurried up on deck and then realized they were at sea and the Black Pearl was moving rapidly away from Tortuga.

Sands looked back at Jack's grinning face as he stood in the doorway to his cabin. "What is this about? Why are we sailing?" He asked Jack, a look of confusion on his face.

"It's a boat, son. Isn't that what they're supposed to do?" Jack's grin broadened as he looked at the annoyed Sands.

"Not with me on it!" Sands was getting agitated at how little control he had over the situation he now found himself in. "Where are we going? Where are you taking us?"

Ichabod gave Sands an irritated look. Sands was getting him into a huge mess.

"Where ever the wind blows us." Jack walked up to him, "And somewhere where you won't be able to do any damage, savvy?"

"Wherever the wind blows us?" Ichabod repeated.

"Oh, no, we're not!" Sands reached into his pocket for the stun gun and then looked disgusted when he remembered that Ichabod had taken it away and broken it. Then he reached inside his jacket for his gun instead.

But Jack was quicker as he pulled out his pistol and aimed it, once again, at Sands face, "Empty your pockets!"

Sands froze, his hand still halfway in his jacket, Jack's gun dangerously close to his face. He grinned a lopsided grin at Jack as he slowly pulled his hand back out of his jacket and raised his hands in the air again.

"There's nothing in my pockets, Jack."

"If there was nothing in them, why would you be diggin' in em? Empty em...now."

Sands reached into his pockets and then brought his hands back out empty again. He shrugged at Jack and raised his eyebrows as if to say, I told you there's nothing in them."

Jacks rolls his eyes, "Take off yer jacket."

Sands sighed, "OK, OK, Jack, you can have my gun." He handed him the pistol that came with the pirate outfit. "Are you happy now?"

Sands was grinning widely at Jack with his hands up.

Jack waved his hand and a pirate walked over and pinned Sands arms back and searched his pockets. He pulled out some gum, a lighter, a pack of cigarettes and a small remote.

Sands frowned. "There's nothing dangerous there, Jack. Can I have my stuff back, please?"

The pirate handed Jack the pile of things and Jack looked at every one, "What are these?" he held up the remote.

"It's just for my garage door, at home. It won't work here." He couldn't think of anything better to say and temporarily forgot what year he was in.

Ichabod looked over at Sands, a little confused, wondering what a garage door is.

Jack looks at him confused, "Garage? That's the worst one yet."

"Never mind. It's not dangerous to you Jack. Can I have it back?" He smiled at him hoping he wouldn't press the button.

"Naw, i think I'll keep it," he stuck it in his pocket and took a look at the lighter.

Sands looked concerned as he stuck the remote in his pocket rather than giving it back to him.

Jack observed the lighter a bit, and flipped it open, causing a flame to shoot up from it. Jack backed up, a little shocked at first, but then reclosed it again.

He looked at Sands. He had such weird little things. Where did he get them?

Sands just smiled at him. "It's for lighting my cigarettes, which I really need by the way, especially now. Bad habit, I know, but I can't seem to quit. Can I have them back...please?"

Sands was starting to get nervous. Without the remote he and Ichabod couldn't get back home. Jack threw back the cigarettes, but kept everything else.

Sands was glad Jack had not found his guns underneath his clothes. At least he would have something to use when he got a chance to capture Jack, but losing the remote control to the teleporter was what really bothered him the most. He had to get that back.

"What do you intend to do with us now, Mr. Sparrow?" Ichabod asked him. 

"Not much ya can do now. Hmm...Why don't ya help the rest of the crew?"

"Help the crew?" Ichabod questioned.

"That's what I said isn't it?"

The pirate holding Sands let him go and dragged them below deck to tell them what to do.


	4. Chapter 4

Frowning, Ichabod turned to face Sands and said in a hushed voice so the pirates couldn't hear him, "Look what you have gotten us into, Mr. Sands. How do you intend to return us to our own times, when Jack has taken the remote?" He looked extremely annoyed. "And what was you reason for taking me here with you?"

"I'll think of something to get the remote back and I already told you, I have no idea why I needed to get you. It's not like you've been very helpful, either. You just let the guy rifle thought my clothes and take the remote when you were standing there armed." He looked at Ichabod, annoyed that he was questioning his judgment.

"What exactly did you expect me to do? There were pirates everywhere. If I had taken out my pistol, they would have taken it from me, as well." He glared at him.

Sands just rolled his eyes at him. The pirate leading them grunted at them to follow him and he showed them their cabins.

"Ye," The pirate pointed at Ichabod, "Are goin' to be helpin' in the kitchen."

Ichabod made a face. He wasn't much of a cook.

"And ye are goin' to be workin' up on deck." The pirate told Sands, before walking back up on deck.

Sands looked his cabin over. It was not too big but it was sufficient. There was a medium sized bed, a chair, a desk and a wardrobe and dresser for his clothes and belongings. He sat on the bed for a moment before deciding to go up on deck for a cigarette.

It was evening and the Black Pearl was preparing to arrive at an island port. Sands was looking over the rail at the island and trying to think of a way to get the remote control back from Jack. Maybe he could stay behind and search for it while the others went ashore. He walked along the railing down the side of the ship smoking a cigarette deep in thought when he stepped on something and heard a very female sounding yelp. He looked down and didn't see anything, which puzzled him. He crouched down and looked under a tarp that was covering some equipment on the deck. He saw a flash of what looked like a knife and he jumped back quickly narrowly avoiding being cut by it. He grabbed the arm that was holding the knife and yanked the person violently out from under the tarp.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch, you're hurting me! Let go of me!"

Sands looked at the person that had tried to cut him with the dagger. It was a young girl, maybe 18 to 20 years old. She was dressed in too fancy of clothes to be a pirate. Her pale skin and hair were offset by crystal blue eyes. Her dress matched the color of her eyes. He was immediately attracted to her beauty.

"What are you staring at, pirate? Let me go this instant or I'll scream."

Sands smirked at her. "Why are you hiding under a tarp?"

"I…ah….ah…" she sputtered. "Never mind, just let me go and I won't hurt you." Her eyes flashed anger at him, which amused him tremendously.

"You won't hurt me? How do you figure you would be able to do that?" He squeezed her wrist harder causing her to drop the dagger and she yelped with annoyance.

He picked the weapon up, still holding the girl firmly so she couldn't lash out at him.

"You didn't answer me. Why are you hiding under a tarp?" He stared at her with his cigarette still dangling out of the side of his mouth waiting for her reply.

She tried to squirm away from him, but he held her fast against him. He could feel the girl breathing hard. She was obviously frightened despite her brave demeanor. She looked up into his eyes.

"You don't look like a pirate," she said after a minute.

"That's because I'm not. But, you didn't answer me yet. Why are you under a tarp?"

"Oh, I like to hide under them sometimes for fun," she lied.

He could tell she was obviously lying. "I see. What's your name?"

"What difference does it make? What's yours?" she said belligerently.

"Sands. And yours is?"

The girl sighed. "Kat."

"Kat? What kind of name is Kat?"

"What kind of name is Sands?" she spat back at him.

A smile played at the corners of his mouth. He liked this girl's spunk. "Well, Kat, let's get you back to your cabin shall we?"

He began to walk pulling her along the deck with him.

"No! No, I can't!"

She ducked back down again. "Go away!"

He looked at her. He was amused and puzzled by her behavior when it dawned on him that she obviously wasn't supposed to be there.

"You're a stowaway aren't you?" He smirked, as she looked annoyed at him for guessing correctly.

"So!" she said defiantly, then after considering her predicament, she said, "You aren't going to turn me in are you?" Her eyes pleaded with him, making him even more amused.

"Well, I don't know. Why shouldn't I?"

"Oh, please Mr. Sands, don't turn me in. They'll send me back home and I can't go back there. I just can't."

She looked quite upset at the prospect of being sent back home which made Sands very curious.

"Why not?"

"They want me to marry this ancient old man and I refuse! I will not marry a man I do not love and especially not an ugly old wart of a man!" Her eyes flashed anger at the thought of the arranged marriage she had been presented with. "I'd rather die that marry him."

"Well, you might get your wish. A pirate ship is not a very safe place for a young lady to be." 

"I'll be safe enough, if you'll give me my knife back."

"No, I don't think I want you to be cutting me with that."

"I won't cut you, if you promise not to turn me in."

"I don't think you have any bargaining power right now, Sugarbutt."

"Sugar….what?" Don't call me that. That is very rude!"

Sands laughed. This girl was quite entertaining.

"Are you just going to live under that tarp forever?"

"Well, I….don't know."

"You can stay in my cabin," he said matter of factly, "just keep yourself hidden so I don't get myself in trouble, savvy?"

"Mr. Sands if you think for one minute that you can take advantage of me because of my weakened position here on this ship, you are sorely mistaken." She looked at him defiantly and frowned.

He grinned at her. "Don't worry, Sugarbutt, you'll be perfectly safe. I will keep my hands to myself, scouts honor." 

"Scouts…what? I don't have any idea what that means, but, OK, I guess. But if you so much as touch me inappropriately you will be so sorry."

The idea of actually getting to sleep in a bed was too appealing to her to turn down after two days at sea, sleeping under a tarp, and he seemed harmless enough, she hoped. Either way, he wasn't too big of a man and she figured she could fight him off if she needed to. She was satisfied that she would be safe enough and much more comfortable if she took him up on his offer.

She went with him and they sneaked her down to his cabin.

"Make yourself at home, but remember, hide if anyone comes in here besides me." He winked at her and left her there to herself. She threw herself on his bed. It was soft and inviting and she soon fell asleep.

Sands walked back on deck, quite amused and curious about his new found little stowaway. Who was she and where did she come from? He'd have to find out more about her. She was a beautiful little thing. He was sure she could keep him quite entertained. He smiled to himself.


	5. Chapter 5

"All hands on deck! We're comin' into port!" Jack yelled. He steered the Pearl to a halt at the dock, causing the town's people to scatter away in panic. The crew ran off of the boat to take over their new territory and cause trouble everywhere they went.

Jack smiled in satisfaction as he walked the streets, watching the pirates. Fires burst out everywhere, burning every home and store to the ground. Women ran around screaming as the pirates chased after them with lust.

Jack turned his head as he heard an explosion go off, the town being showered with debris. He grinned, this was what he liked.

"You dirty man!" a lady yelled at a pirate, "Get away from me, you wretch!" she clunked him on the head with her heeled shoe. The pirate grinned and only went after her with a more eager attitude.

Jack walked into a bar and made his way to the rum chambers. He watched as his mates grabbed barrels upon barrels of rum and carried them back to the ship. He nodded as they passed him and decided to look around a bit more.

The streets were in a bustle. Livestock ran the streets along with men and woman; tall, short, fat and skinny screaming their little lungs out as if it would do a thing. Smoke blanketed everyone, making them dirty and causing their eyes to water.

A little girl ran into Jack as she ran to catch up with her mother. She looked up to meet his brown eyes, only to have her blue ones widen. She hugged her little stuffed doll and backed up.

"Get away fwum me you dewty piwate!" she tried to run past him, but he caught her arm.

He was going to speak, but she started hitting his arm with the doll, "Let go of me, let go! Mommy!" the girl reached out into the crowd.

"Now, there's no-" Jack was interrupted when something hit the back of his head.

"Let go of my daughter pirate!" the lady stood over him defensively.

Jack turned around. "Marianna," he smiled and stood up.

"Jack?" she looked at him unbelievably for a minute, then wrenched her daughter away from him, "Come on Rose, let's get to the rowboats."

Jack watched them leave and shrugged, "Hadn't seen her in a while." He turned around and continued down the street.

Sands waited until all the pirates had left the ship before making his way to Jack's cabin. He searched the entire place for the remote control but to no avail. Apparently, Jack still had it in his pocket, Sands thought with dismay. He would have to wait a little longer to try to get it back.

Ichabod stepped off of the Black Pearl and walked up the dock. He started down the streets of the destroyed town. All the buildings and houses were ablaze, with windows shattered and doors broken in. He watched with disgust as the pirates chased women around the town. Stopping for a moment, he peered down the cobblestone street. There were people running everywhere, trying to keep away from the pirates. He turned to start walking back to the Pearl, but stopped again when he saw someone lying on the ground before him. He realized that it was a girl, around eighteen, unconscious. She was in a white nightgown, wet and dirty.

Ichabod felt bad for her, with her town being destroyed, so he quickly knelt down and lifted her limp body into his arms. She was slim, and easy to carry. Ichabod glanced around. The safest place for her would be the Black Pearl, so he quickly began walking toward it.

Once on the ship, Ichabod walked below deck and to the nearest cabin, with the girl in his arms. He stepped over to the small bed and started to lay her down, so she could rest, but just as he was pulling back the sheets, she woke up.

Blinking, she glanced up at him, then back down at the bed. Her eyes grew wide.

"Get away from me, you filthy, rotten pirate!" She yelled, as she slapped him hard across the face. Jumping out of the bed, she cautiously stood in the back of the room, away from him.

Ichabod winced and rubbed his cheek. "No, you do not understand. I was only laying you down so that you could rest. I found you in the street, unconscious."

She snorted. "Do you expect me to believe you? A pirate?" She had an English accent.

Ichabod frowned. "I am _not_ a pirate."

She rolled her eyes. "Do you think I am stupid?" She frowned at him, then turned and started to walk out the door of the cabin.

He started after her. "It's not safe in town. The pirates may kill you."

"They'll kill me if I stay on this ship, as well. And besides, they've already killed all my family." Her bottom lip quivered, as though she were about to cry.

"I'm sorry-" He began to say, but she cut him off.

"Yes, you should be sorry. You are with the pirates who killed them." She glared at him, her dark green eyes ablaze.

He opened his mouth to reply, but stopped when she turned on her heel and started down the hall, towards the stairs to upper deck.

"Good _bye_!" She yelled back, angrily, as she started up the stairs.

He started down the hall after her. Hearing him following her again, she turned back towards him. "Quit following me, you…. annoying pirate!" She frowned at him, as she got to the top of the stairs.

Ichabod stopped, looking a bit irritated now. He wondered how he would convince her that he was not a pirate. He slowly started up the stairs, despite her request for him to stop. Walking out on deck, he spotted her at the side of the boat. She gripped the handrail, as she looked out at her town.

"This cannot be happening." She cried to herself, as she looked at her town, up in flames. "Where will I live?" She tugged on her auburn hair as she started pacing back and forth on the deck.

Ichabod looked over at the dock. Jack and some of the other pirates were returning with their stolen items. He frowned. He wasn't certain what they would do if they saw the girl on the ship.

"Miss?" He walked up to her again. She still hadn't told him her name.

She turned and looked at him again. "Just… call me Claire." She frowned at him.

He nodded. "My name is Ichabod Crane." He finally introduced himself. "The pirates are returning. You will need to hide, quickly."

"Hide where?" She frowned again.

He turned on his heel and started walking back downstairs, below deck. "Follow me."

"All right," She said, giving up. She had nowhere else to go since the pirates were now boarding the ship, blocking her escape route. She followed him down the stairs.

He stopped outside a cabin. "This cabin is empty." He opened the door, allowing her to enter. "Just, hide somewhere in here." He said, before he quickly shut the door, and turned and walked back on deck.

Claire frowned and settled down on the bed to wait.


	6. Chapter 6

Sands saw Jack and the rest of the pirates returning to the ship and decided to go below deck to talk to his little stowaway before Jack called him to work. He was curious to learn more about her. He entered his cabin and found that she was fast asleep in the bed. He smiled to himself as he looked at her sleeping form, curled up in a defensive ball, frowning in his direction. Even asleep she looked like she was ready to pounce at a moment's notice.

He sat down in the chair across form the bed and looked at her. His movement awakened Kat and she opened one eye and squinted at him.

"What are you staring at?" she spat out at him, annoyed that he was watching her as she slept and even more annoyed with herself for not realizing it sooner.

"Do you always sleep all curled up like that? It doesn't look very comfortable."

"What difference does it make how I sleep and why do you care?" Her eyes shot fire at him for asking about what she considered to be a far too personal matter for a young lady to be discussing with a man.

He shrugged and ignored her question. "So, Kat, tell me about yourself."

"There's nothing to tell," she replied bluntly as she sat up. She really just wanted to keep sleeping but apparently that wasn't going to happen.

"Oh, there's plenty to tell, like how a girl like you ended up on a pirate ship, where you live, who your parents are."

He looked at her with his eyebrows raised waiting for her reply.

"I'd rather not talk about any of that and you have no reason to know. I simply took you up on your offer of refuge in your cabin but if you are going to be so darn nosy I'll just take my leave right now and go back on deck."

"I get paid to be nosy, but don't get your knickers in a knot, you don't have to tell me."

Her eyes widened at his disgusting remark. "That was completely inappropriate, Mr. Sands."

"Yeah, whatever. Listen, I'm sticking my neck out for you so the least you can do is be friendly toward me."

"Friendly? If by friendly you mean to imply….," she began.

"No, I'm not implying anything," he cut her off. "You sure get your hair up quick. Kat is a good name for you….really."

She relaxed a little. Maybe she was being too defensive, but she was on a pirate ship and he was a stranger and she just didn't know what to expect and didn't want to be caught in a compromising position.

"I apologize if I have been too harsh and I do thank you for your kind offer of allowing me to stay in your cabin."

Sands grinned, "See that wasn't so hard."

"Don't push your luck," she said with a frown at his arrogant remark.

Sands laughed at the look on her face. He enjoyed this girl's quick wit and temperament and she was incredibly beautiful. He found himself wanting to get to know her better.

"How long do you plan on hiding out on this ship?"

"Just long enough to get to a suitable port where I can make a life for myself," she replied.

Sands knitted his eyebrows together. "What could a young girl like you do to make money to survive? The options are, not very good ones, I'm afraid." 

He didn't want this beautiful young girl to end up a street whore. He wasn't sure that she fully realized the implications of what she was suggesting and how her life could end up.

"I'll manage. It's no concern of yours," she said boldly.

He grabbed her arm and looked intensely into her eyes, "But it does concern me. I took you in and I want to make sure you are safe. I'm not going to just set you loose in the streets."

Her eyes narrowed at him, "Mr. Sands, you are neither my father nor my husband and what I do or do not do is not for you to decide. Now, let go of my arm!" She jerked her arm away from him and looked at him defiantly.

"You have no idea what you're getting yourself into," he hissed at her.

He got up and left the cabin before he let his anger get the better of him. The girl was impossible, he thought. Her pride would surely get her into trouble and he hated to see that happen to her. He lit a cigarette and stood looking over the rail of the deck as the ship sailed away from the island port. Why should he care? But, for some reason, he did. She just seemed so wild, untamable and full of life and he would hate to see her spirit destroyed by the evils of the world. He sighed. He needed to concentrate on his mission and not get sidetracked by some silly little girl. Once he had captured Jack Sparrow he would be going back to his own time and getting on with his life and she would just have to manage on her own.


End file.
